Richmond art: a historic colony, a museum and more

Even those who only dabble in Indiana's art history likely know about the Hoosier Group of painters, including T.C. Steele, who drew national fame. But another group of painters actually formed the state's first colony of artists. The Richmond Group Artists formed in the late 19th century in far-eastern Indiana, traveling along the Whitewater River and painting on weekends. In 1898, they founded the Art Association of Richmond. That evolved into the acclaimed Richmond Art Museum, which is generally considered to be the only independent art museum in the country that's housed in a public school: Richmond High School. Earlier this month, the art museum and its executive director, Shaun Dingwerth, were named recipients of the Governor's Arts Awards. The awards are given by the Indiana Arts Commission and the office of the governor to honor outstanding contributions to the arts.